Allowance should be made for the habit of exaggeration among the Spanish adventurers of that time, and also for the diplomacy of Cortes in magnifying his exploits to win the favour of his king. The truth is, without doubt, that the dwellings of the lower classes were still built of reeds and mud, and covered the greater part of the city's area, otherwise it is impossible to understand how a mere handful of Spanish soldiers, without tools and ex plosives, could so easily have levelled it to the ground. After its almost total destruction in Nov. 1521, Cortes employed some 400,000 natives in rebuilding the city on its former site. Since then the lake has decreased greatly in extent, its area being reduced to 1 1 sq.m. and its shore-line being more than 3 m. distant from the city it once surrounded. During Spanish rule the only break in the ordinary course of events was the revolt of 1692, which re sulted in the destruction of the municipal buildings. The city was not much disturbed by the struggle for independence.
In the war between Mexico and the United States Mexico City was the chief point of attack. The American army, under Gen. Winfield Scott, arrived at Ayotla, 16 m. S.E. of the city on Aug. Jo, 1847, moved around the capital on the south side to avoid its heavy fortifications, crossed the difficult terrain of the Pedre gal, a field of broken lava, and succeeded in capturing point after point of the city's outlying defences (including the hill of Chapul tepec), thus forcing the surrender of the Mexicans on Sept. 13.
The city was then occupied by the American army and held until the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, May 1848.
The French intervention of 1861 led to a second occupation by a foreign Power—a French military force under Gen. Forey tak ing possession in June 1863. Maximilian, archduke of Austria, was crowned emperor of Mexico in the cathedral in June 1864, and held possession of the capital until June 21, 1867, when it was captured by Gen. Porfirio Diaz.
During the revolutionary movements beginning in 191o, Mexico City was taken and re-taken many times, never, however, suffer ing serious damage. On Sept. 29, 1927, a long distance telephone between Mexico City and Washington, D.C., was inaugurated, the event being celebrated by an exchange of greetings between the chief executives of the two nations. The total length of the Wash ington–Mexico City circuit is 3,357 miles.